‘Pale Riders’ host a resiliency building competition

Photo By Bernhard Lashleyleidner | Spc. Steven Green, vehicle operator with Troop A, 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, guides his team as they assemble an OE-254 communication antenna during the resiliency competition Aug. 14 at Camp Beuhring, Kuwait. The Soldiers had to correctly attach the antenna and guiding wires to stabilize the antenna and prior to heading to the next station during the competition.  

CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT

09.01.2014

Courtesy Story

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait – Soldiers and their leaders from the 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division competed in a unit resiliency competition Aug. 14 to highlight Soldier improvements in physical fitness and combat focused tactical skills.

Capt. Jordan McElroy, squadron fire support officer with 4th Sqdn, 4th Cav., said the events were designed to test Soldiers and leaders' mental and physical toughness, strengthen unit cohesion, build morale and exemplify esprit de corps of the 1st Infantry Division.

“Our goal while planning this event was to inspire competitiveness and build teamwork in a Soldier environment,” Capt. Matthew Strohman, commander Troop C, 4th Sqdn. 4th Cav. Regt., 1ABCT, 1st Inf. Div., said.

The six five-man teams battled it out over eight events: Pushups/burpees, evaluating and evacuating a casualty, radio communications, setup tactical antenna, water box carry, call for fire, assemble /dis-assemble a M240 machine gun and a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle push.

In the first two events, each team had to properly execute 150 burpees and 300 pushups.

Strohman, a native of Ohio, said the “burpee” exercise incorporates different muscle groups and is designed to work the entire body.

At the next two stations Soldiers had to setup and establish radio communication with the Headquarter and Headquarters Troop using the single channel ground and airborne radio signal system and plot the correct the grid coordinates using the Defense Advanced Global positioning system receiver in order to locate other events and complete the course.

As the teams sprinted from event to event Soldiers could be heard in cadence, shouting cheers of encouragement to their fellow troopers to give maximum effort.

“I believe my Soldiers gained confidence by teaming up with us as leaders while competing in these events,” Sgt. Conroy Dennis, Troop A squad leader said. “The physically grueling events helped us build stronger bond as a unit upon completing.”

The final event of the competition was the HMMWV push where two teams from Troop A, beat the rest of the competitor by a matter of minutes.

“We told our Soldiers that everyone, whether they win or lose, will gain something out if this competition,” Dennis said. “Each competitor was given a squadron coin for competing. The 4th Sqdn. 4th Cav. Regt., will continue to conduct training and events that encourage and require Soldiers to apply skills they acquired through tactical instruction.”

• Date Taken: 09.01.2014
• Date Posted: 09.08.2014 14:34
• Story ID: 141425
• Location: CAMP BUEHRING, KW